Time for US Move in South Caucasus

10/11/2012
2012-10-11 by Richard Weitz Although Americans and Azeris have a long history of friendship, this year marks the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and the post-Soviet state of Azerbaijan. The U.S. government and U.S. companies were eager to develop newly independent Azerbaijan’s oil and gas fields through…

Alaska, the Arctic and Crafting Strategic Depth

10/10/2012
2012-10-10 by Robbin Laird A key element for the U.S. contribution to Pacific defense is the ability to provide strategic depth for our allies.  Projecting power forward is a key contribution to enhancing the ability of allies to defend themselves, and to shape an interoperable Pacific defense strategy.  Along with Canada,…

The Afghan Transition Challenge: Where is the US Pakistan Strategy?

10/10/2012
2012-10-10 by Richard Weitz After almost a decade of fighting, American politicians are eager to reduce their military, financial, and other costly support for the Kabul government. Relations between the Barack Obama administration and Afghan President Hamid Karzai remain strained, as confirmed most recently in the testy remarks by U.S. Defense…

Ball Aerospace and Lockheed Martin Highlight F-35 Lightning II Capabilities at Cockpit Demonstration Event

10/09/2012
10/3/12  Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. and Lockheed Martin today showcased the F-35 Lightning II mobile cockpit demonstrator to state and local elected officials, community leaders, other stakeholders, news media and employees at the Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Westminster facility. “We are proud to provide critical technologies for the…

The Latest Second Line of Defense Publicaton: Air Mobility and Mission Success

10/09/2012
2012-10-09 In a new book, Second Line of Defense provides a broad overview on the evolution of air mobility. Air power is increasingly about integration of air assets into the full spectrum of military and security operations. The book is a compilation of interviews that have been published on the Second Line…

Can Japan Continue to Live in the Nuclear Neighborhood Without Its Own Nuclear Weapons?

10/08/2012
2012-10-08 by Richard Weitz The North Korean nuclear threat and the growing power of China in the region – with a solid growth in nuclear weapons as well – provides a continual test for the U.S. nuclear guarantee for Japan. Thus far, the situation in Korea has not resulted in a…

The United States and the CTBT: The Prospects

10/08/2012
2012-10-08 By Richard Weitz At the 2012 Moscow Nonproliferation Conference, most attention on bringing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) into force focused on how to secure U.S. ratification of the treaty. The participants from other countries found it convenient to blame Washington’s stubbornness for the CTBT’s failure to enter…